HomeNews ServiceMaster Puts First Hybrid Trucks into Service in California

ServiceMaster Puts First Hybrid Trucks into Service in California

The Memphis-based company put the fleet of 10 TruGreen hybrid vehicles into service in California on March 17.

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March 29, 2011

MEMPHIS - ServiceMaster, which has one of the largest private fleets in the country, will add 10 hybrid vehicles to its TruGreen fleet in California. The first truck was put into service on March 17.

A hybrid vehicle combines a conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. The presence of the electric power train is intended to achieve better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle, or better performance.

It is expected that utilizing hybrid vehicles will help ServiceMaster reduce its carbon footprint by improving fuel economy by up to 40 percent, providing a 30 percent reduction in maintenance costs and up to 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

“At ServiceMaster, our commitment to the environment extends not just to our products and how we apply them, but also to our fleet,” said Mary Kay Runyan, vice president of Fleet Operations for ServiceMaster. “These new hybrid trucks help us preserve the serenity of our environment while at the same time meeting our own objectives of reducing fuel usage and emissions.”

”We’re very pleased to include hybrid vehicles in the TruGreen fleet as part of our ‘go greener’ journey,” said TruGreen President Steve Donly. “Using more fuel-efficient vehicles furthers our goal of providing customized lawn care solutions that are effective, innovative, and responsible.”

ServiceMaster is proud to participate in California's Hybrid Vehicle Incentive Program (HVIP), which provides funds for environmentally friendly transportation solutions to companies operating fleets in the state.

The company said its fourth-quarter earnings rose 17%. Ecolab CEO Doug Baker said the company’s U.S. pest business “has been steadily improving” due to a number of investments in that business starting two years ago.